Time To Start Thinking about July 4

The fireworks to the left are from Gettysburg, and they happen to be Christmas fireworks, but I am sure you get the idea. Fireworks are great no matter the occasion. 


I love the 4th of July, personally. It was my maternal grandmother's birthday, so we always did it up big when I was a kid. I especially like fireworks.


I am working on a longer piece for emergingcivilwar.com about fireworks, but I thought I would write about it here as well. 


My focus will be Grand Illuminations--when the entire town, or the public part of it, anyway, was lit up for something special. One of my favorite books, Reveille In Washington, tells about many Grand Illuminations in the capital during the war years. 


I find this fascinating, and it is even more so when you know a little bit about such ephemeral things.


So--for the next few days we will look at set pieces, static displays, Catherine Wheels lance settings and Grand Illuminations.   It will be GRAND!